Article of repose for supporting the body of a person



Sept. 3, 1957 "H. BERTQIA 2,894,915

ART1CLE 0E RjsRosE FOR SUPPORTING TRE BODY 0F A PERSON Filed March 1, 1955 2 sheets-sheet 1 ,fzo'

do 2o l IO JNVENTOR.

Hurry 35A ma Sept. 3, 1957 H. BER-rom 2,804,915

ARTICLE` OP REPOSE FOR SUPPORTING THE BODY OP A PERSON Filed March l, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVEN TOR. HARRY BERTOIA BY-Wiz.

ATTORNEY Unite Barto, Pa., assignor to Knoll Associates, Inc., New York, N. Y.' i

Application March 1, 195s, senat y1*1'0'-491sf9a s Claims. (criss-194) Harry Bertoia,

This application is a continuation-:in-part of 'my prior application Serial No. 297,327, tiled July-.5, 1952., entitled Article of Repose for Supporting the Body of a Person# now Patent No. 2,763,318, granted Sept. 18, 1.956.' `The invention described and claimed inthis application'plike that of the prior application relates'to articles-of furniture, and more particularly to articles of reposefor supporting the body of a person. J Y Y An object of the invention is to provide' an article of repose, for example a chair, wherein-,a shell-likeb'ody including the back andthe seat of the arlic'le'is'carriedV by a support in such a manner that stresses due to the sitting of a person on the article are most advantageously :distributed throughout the entresystem.

Another object of the invention is to'provde an article of repose wherein a shell-like body including fthe back and the seat of the -article is Aconnected 'with' a support at two points on each side of the article and, Lyet, a person sitting on the article may perform rocking movements to some extent.

A further object of the present inventionis Ato improve on the art of articles of repose as now customarily'ma'de.

Other objects and structural details of theinvention will be apparent from vthe following descriptionfwhen' read in conjunction with the accompanying,drawings-forming part of this specification, wherein:

Fig. l is a perspective `view of a chair the invention, v

Fig. 2 is a side elevational View of the chair isho'wn in Fig. 1, g.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of -a detail of Vthe ichair shown in Fig. Al, and

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of a different embodiment of a chair according to the invention. 4

Fig. 5 is a partial perspective view rof a detail of'another embodiment of the chair, while Y 1 Fig. 6 shows the same in a tilted or recliningnpositiom Fig. 7 is a side view, partially in section, showing Ithe details of the attachment members `of the embodiment'in Figs.5and6.

Referring now to Figs. 1-3, 10 generally indicates a; support substantially in the shape of a cradleymade :0f rods welded together. The support 10 comprises two side frames generally identiedby the lnumerals 12 and 14, one on each side of the chair, said side frames being connected with each other by transverse rods 16 and 18. The side frame 12 comprises two upright-legs 20a`nd"22 connected with each other by a lowerjconnectinggmember 24 and an upper connecting member v'26,. According@ the embodiment shown in thedrawings'the members '120, 22, 24, and 26 of the side frame 12 are made of a single rod having its ends welded together, whereby a closed frame of an endless rod is formed. In a similar manner the other side frame 14 is in the shape of an endless rod frame having the upright legs 28 and 30 and the connecting members 32 and 34. The cradle support 10 thus formed by the side frames 12 and 14 connected with each other by the transverse rods 16 and 18, being rigid in according to 2,804,915 Patented' Sept. 3, .1957

vertical direction for safely carryinga load, is resiliently llexible lin forward and backward direction to a certain eiiten'fs'othat, for example, the uprights 20l and V22 may assume the reclined position 20 and 22 shown in Fig. 2. y

'A "shell-like body, generally indicated 36, includes a back 38, a seat 40 and side-walls 42 and 44. According to 'thefembodiment shown in Figs. 1-3 of the drawings, the .shell-like'body 36 has no arm-rests, but it will be 'obvious :that if :arm-rests were desired they could be included in the shell-like body. g

YAccording to Figs. 143, the shell-like body 36 is made of'a plurality of wires 46 and 48 arranged in such a manner that they form a plurality ofA meshes. As best showngin Fig. l., each wire 48 is .so arranged that it extendstrom a point 48aat one side `of the shell-like body to a point 48b at the other side thereof Vat -a different level. The arrangement of the wires 46 fully :corresponds to the arrangement rof the wires 48. Thewires 46 and 48 are welded together at their crossed points of contact, as best shown in Fig. 3. Thus, the shell-like body 36 is made of 'a material having the appearance yof a network. Owing to -theiconstructionof the shell-like body Vdescribed above, it is resiliently flexible in itself to some extent, so that the shell-like body .may be deformed slightly to give when a 'person sittingionfthe chair presses against the back 38 for performing Ia rocldng movement. When thelperson ceases thefpressing action, the Shell-like body 36 iautomatically-a'ssurnes itsor-iginal form and position.

I The support v10 Ais attached to -sideewalls 42, 4'4 respectively at the two spaced points 50, `52. and 54, 56 respec tively` kSaid points are located substantially in ithe middle portion of the side-walls 42 and 44. The. front `points 50, 5 4 :of attachment are at level abovethe level of the rear points-.52, 56 of attachment. As vbest shown' infFig. 3 at each of the points'of attachment there Vis a plate S58 (not numbered), having a bore welded to adjacent wires 48 of the shell-like body 36. The side frame 10` is `attached to each of the plates 58 by means of a screw 60 passing through lregistering vbores of both` the side frame 10 and the plate 58.

Owing to .the attachment of thesupport 10-to thevfshelllike body 36-at the4 two spaced points at each of the vrespective sidewalls 42 and 44, substantially i-n the center `of the latter, the upper portion of the shell-like body is supported by the support 10 While the lower -portion of the shell-like body is suspended from the support. Thus, stresses `due to the sitting of a person on the chair `are most advantageously distributed throughout the system. Thepartial support-and partial suspension of the shell`I like body 36perrnits the distribution of the weight of a person sitting Sin the lchair throughout the entire wire systemof the shell-like body.

Even if the support V10 is rigid in everydirection, a person sitting `on the chair 4may perform slight rocking movements `:of limiteddegree, `as for the reasons set forthv above, the shell-like body 36 being made of vwires v46 and 48 'arranged and connected with each other substantially in the shapeof a wire mesh networkis resiliently flexiblein itself and may be slightly deformed. The resiliency inherent in the shell-like body 36`constantly tends to return the body to its original form thereby .assisting in the rocking movements -of the same. A somewhat larger degree of rockin'gmovemen'ts maybe obtained, when the legs and connecting members of the support 10 are also somewhat resiliently ilexible in both the forward and backward directions.

According to the embodiment shown in Fig. 4, the support is also attached to the side-walls of the shelllike body 136 at two spaced points 150, 152, on each side of the chair. The points 150, 152 of attachment are 1ocated substantially in the center of the sidewalls of the body 136, and as in the prior embodiment the front point 150 of attachment is at a level above the level of the rear point 152 of attachment.

The shell-like body 136 including the back and the seat of the chair may be madeof al non-perforatedplastic material, although it is understood thatthe shell-like body 136 could be made of a wire-,network substantially of the type as described above in connection with the embodiment shown in Figs. l-3.

In the construction of the support 110'the side frames thereof (see frame 112 in Fig. 4), may be open at their upper ends between the uprights 120 and 122, so that they are not connected with each other by a connecting rodY as in the previousY embodiment.. Theside'vframes (see frame 1712) of the support 110 flex resiliently in kboth the forward and backward directions, `so that the uprights 120 and 122 may assume theinclined position 120 and 12,2' respectively. Y Theupperjends of theside frames on each side of the body136 are pivotallyvconnected therewith at the points of attachment, (see attachments 150 and 152). ,L t K Thus, according to the embodiment shown in Fig. 4, Athe shell-like body 136 is also partiallysupportedi and partially suspended from the support 110 by the described arrangement of the .pivots connecting the supporti with the side frames of the shell-like body 136 at spaced'p'oints' in the center thereof. Hence,.a person sitting on the chair may perform rocking movements owing to the pivotal connections between the shell-like body 136'and I the support 110 and owing to the flexibility of the uprights of the cradle-like support 110.

Referring now to the embodiment Ashown in Figs. 5, 6 and 7, wherein the shell-like body 236 is of substantially the same mesh or welded crossed wire construction as thatdisclosedin the embodiment of Figs. 1 to 3. In a similar manner, the cradle type support 210 ofthe present embodiment is also of substantially the same construction asthat disclosed in the embodiment shownin Figs.

1 to 3. 'For that reason, a more detailed showing or description of the body 236 and the support 210 is unnecessary and would only tend to ldetract from the invention. 7 Y In the instant embodiment the shell-like body 236 is supported at the juncture of the connecting member 226 and the forward upright leg 220 at a slightly higher level than vthe suspension at the juncture of the'rnember226V and the rear upright leg 222 in the following manner. Although only one side wall 242 is shown in Figs. 5 to 7, at substantially the middle of each of the side walls of the body 236 there is an attachment member 258 secured to the wires 248, as by welding. The attachment members S are secured to the body 236 parallel to the connecting members 226 so that supportmg members 259 may be secured in horizontal alignment between registering or aligned bores (not numbered) in both support 210 and the members 258.

The supporting members 259 are secured at their ends to the attachment members 258 and to the support 210 respectively by the screws or bolts 260. The supporting members 2,59 may be seen in greater detail in Fig. 7 wherein it will be noted that the same have a resilient body portion 261 bonded to rigid ends 263. The supporting members`259 illustrate the concept of the strucwherein the same resilient-1 ture of the instant embodiment ly, but solidly supports the body 236 to the cradle-like support 210. In practice the members 259 are composed of a relatively strong,

in a relationship' but resilient material so thatA the.

members 259'between the forward junctures 226,220 of the support, 210 andthe body 236 support` the latter on the former, while the members 259 between the rear junctures 226, 222 of the support 210 and the body 236 support the latter in suspension on the former,

The operation of the instant embodiment is substantially the same as that disclosed in the embodiment shown in Figs. l, 2 and 3. The weave or mesh construction of the body 236 andthe inherent resilience of the support 210 permit the chair to tilt or recline in response to a shifting of weight by the person reclining in the same except, however, that when the weight is shifted toward a tilting or reclining position the forward member 259 tilts upwardly while the rear member 259 tilts downwardly (see Fig. 6). At the same timel as vthese members tilt their respective body portions 261'pivotally twist or wind torsionally. When the weight of the person sitting in the chair is lifted the parts thereof will automatically assume their normal 'positions as shownin Fig-` 5. rIt will be recognized that other supporting members may fall within the concept ofthe invention and the teaching of the members 259, for example, a torsion spring. Similarly the supporting construction, including the members-259 may be utilized advantageously in connection with the support of the embodiment shown in Fig. 4.

I have described preferred embodiments of my invention but it-is understoodlthat .this disclosure is for the purpose of illustration and that various omissions or changes in shape, proportion and arrangement in parts, as wellvas the substitution of equivalent elements for those herein shown and described may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

l'. A chair or the like comprising a seat-and-back unit for supporting the body of a person, said unit including a network comprising a first plurality of generally parallel wires, a second plurality of generally parallel wires crossing said first plurality of wires at substantial angles, Vand welded vconnections between said wires rat the crossings thereof,.said network being contoured to form a seat portion, a back portion, and a curved portion `of substantial radius joining-said seat portion and said back portion, a pair of rigid reinforcing metal members attached by weld` ing `to the outer sides of the wires of said network at opposite sides thereof, and a support for said seat-and-back unit comprising fore-and-aft beam members extending parallel to said reinforcing metal members, means conn'ecting said beam members adjacent their ends to said reinforcing members, and a support for said beam members. i

2. A chair or the like as defined inclaim l, in which said connecting means comprises, at each end of each beam member, a connecting member attached at its respectiveends to said beam member and to the adjacent reinforcing member.v v

3. A chair or the like as delined in claim 2, in which each connecting member comprises a block of'material capable ofsubstantial torsional deformation to permit the seat-and-back unit to roc References Cited in the le of Athis patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

